Search form

You are here

Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding Publications

Climate change adaptation and its relationship to the mitigation or prevention of conflict and supporting resilient societies in fragile or conflict-prone areas have received minimal scholarly or political attention. Yet, climate change remains one of the most important factors in the changing
landscape of Africa today. more

Why was Ukraine so powerless in the occupation and annexation of Crimea? Ukrainians themselves have to find the answers to this question in order to find solutions to the occupation of the peninsula. The comments below discuss the reasons for Ukraine’s vulnerability in its relations with Russia and also examine the ways in which Ukraine should strengthen its sovereignty and ability to protect its statehood. more

A strong state encompasses a whole spectrum of institutions for conflict prevention and management (formal and informal and at the local and national levels). If the state is institutionally weak and illegitimate, conflict will likely occur since the institutional constraints on aggressive predatory behavior are also weak or do not exist at all. The recent conflict in Ukraine illustrates this clearly. more

In shaping the institutions of a new country, what interventions from international actors lead to success and failure? Creating Kosovo highlights efforts to build Kosovo's police force, the central government, courts, and a customs service, and challenges the premise that local “ownership” leads to more effective state bureaucracies. more

"The problem of violent conflict and the instability it creates remains a major global preoccupation, owing to the recognition that development can hardly take root in such settings and that conflict-affected states could be breeding grounds for all kinds of international insecurity." more

Contested Frontiers studies one of the flash points of the Middle East—a region of roughly 100 square kilometers where Syria, Lebanon, and Israel come together but where the borders have never been clearly marked. Asher Kaufman analyzes this geopolitical conflict, and reflects on the meaning of borders and frontiers today. more

This report explores the complex linkages between conflict and food security, drawing insights from scholarly work to help inform more effective programming for practitioners. Food insecurity both results from and contributes to repeated rounds of armed conflict in many places. Conflict can reduce the amount of food available, disrupt people’s access to food, limits families’ access to food preparation facilities and health care, and increase uncertainty about satisfying future needs for food and nutrition. Likewise, food insecurity may help to sustain conflict or reverse post-conflict recovery efforts. more